Ivory Tower
by AUS Wild Thing
Summary: He was the most popular person at Orange Star High, loved by his peers and every teachers dream student. His infectious personality and modest nature made him appear without fault to anyone he came into contact with… Well… Almost anyone. Videl Satan has a bone to pick with the new kid. However things do not go as planned. Slight OOC Gohan.
1. Chapter 1

**So I have taken an extended break away from writing, and it is my triumphant return to fanfiction.**

**I have recently found the urge to get back into creating more content. I found this unfinished story on my computer and decided to finish where I had left off. I also plan on continuing my other story; 'Eighteen Years a Prodigy' as well as having another story in the works which should be completed sometime this coming week, so keep an eye out for those.**

* * *

He was the most popular person at Orange Star High, loved by his peers and every teachers dream student. His infectious personality and modest nature made him appear without fault to anyone he came into contact with… Well… Almost anyone.

It went without saying that Videl Satan despised Son Gohan. She was aware it, the whole school was aware of it. The only person that didn't seem to know it was the very boy himself. If Gohan was aware that Videl Satan had such a deep hatred for him then he was very good at hiding it. There did not appear to be a single ounce of malice within the dark haired boy, even when in the presence of the only person capable of disliking him.

Videl glared at the classroom in front of her, students began filing into the room one by one, all the while the daughter of Hercule sat, eyes burning a whole into the whiteboard whilst listening to her friend Erasa drone one for the thousandth time about the same topic that seemed to be on any ones mind these days; Gohan. It was always Gohan, it was the only thing anyone spoke about and it genuinely tested the teens patience. Son Gohan had been attending Orange Star High for around four months now, but anyone who wasn't aware would think he was some sort of legend. Initially believed to be some sort of super nerd with impeccable test scores, the boy seemed to be the perfect target for bullies to pick on and the popular students to talk about behind his back. That all changed within a week; and Videl meanwhile could not figure out why. Gohan certainly didn't look the part of a nerdy country boy, he was tall, well dressed and his features were well defined, the latter making nearly the entire female population at the school swoon. Amongst those people was the aforementioned Girl Videl was listening to.

"And then Gohan..." Erasa started before she was cut off Videl who was seething.

"Enough!" She exclaimed, "Gohan this, Gohan that. Why does everyone even like him?! There are other topics of conversation!" Her voice carried all the way to the outside hall, silencing all those around the frustrated girl. Those in the classroom could do nothing but stare with wide eyes at the girl, what was Videl's problem anyway?

"Geeze Vi, Calm down" Erasa cautioned trying to pull her friend back into her seat. "I just don't understand what you have against Gohan, what did he ever do to you?"

Her other friend, this one a male blonde who sat on the opposite side of Videl nodded in agreement. "Yeah, don't get your panties in a twist Videl" the boy stated calmly leaned back in his chair and a cocky smirk gracing his lips. Unluckily for him he was now the target of the raven haired girls wrath.

"Got something to say Sharpner?!" the girl threatened whilst balling her hand into a fist ready to strike. The boy cocked one eye open at his friend and his smirk widened as he shut it again.

"I'm just trying to figure out what it is you have against brains" The boy shrugged, undeterred by her threat. The blonde boy had become a lot more bold around Videl ever since Gohan came to this school, a lot of people had changed since that day.

"My problem is that Mr Perfect isn't so perfect, everyone is so stuck kissing his ass they don't stop to think that maybe he's not who he appears to be!" The girl rose once more, this time her eyes scanned over the crowd of students glaring at each face her icy stare landed on.

Murmurs of 'She's just jealous' and 'What did Gohan ever do to her' were thrown around, luckily for those souls, Videl could not hear the comments. As if on cue a figure walked through the doorway. The stranger was male, just over six feet tall, sporting a dark blue woollen winter jacket with a black shirt underneath, a pair of tight fitting blue jeans and timber-land boots, he carried a stack of text books in each hand and had a capsule corporation branded messenger bag around his shoulder. All the while he wore a smile that could melt the insides of anyone who crossed it whilst chatting with one of his classmates, a certain red head named Angela.

Videl eyed the boy critically and snorted disapprovingly as the boy placed the books neatly onto the red heads desk for her before walking up to his seat, located on the far end in the back row, sat right next to a desk which was vacated by Sharpner. The desk originally had belonged to Videl, but having to attend the same school as the Son boy was enough for Videl, let alone having to sit next to him day in and day out; luckily for her she forcibly swapped seats with Sharpner to save her the pain. The switch did not go unnoticed by Gohan, who just assumed Videl would rather sit next to Erasa considering the two seemed to be on very good terms with one another.

"Morning ladies, hey Sharpner" Gohan greeted happily, he then busied himself with his desk arrangement.

"Hey Gohan" Erasa responded. Sharpner meanwhile greeted the boy with a nod and the two bumped fists like close mates.

"Humph" Videl huffed, intentionally loud enough so that Gohan would hear. But true to his nature he took no offence to the rude mannerisms, in fact he didn't even appear to notice.

The bubbly blonde gave her friend a brief knowing look before turning her attention back to the tall boy. "How was your evening?" she questioned.

"Just the usual I suppose. Played with Goten and helped mum around the house" the boy shrugged.

"Cute, you know I'd love to meet your brother, considering how highly you talk about him" Erasa cooed. She couldn't help but imagine a small version of Gohan running around the place, the sight would be adorable taken to the extreme in her mind.

"Well gee, I'm sure Goten would like to meet some of my friends one day as well" Gohan claimed rubbing the back of his neck with a chuckle.

The movement only served to annoy Videl even further. That damn neck scratch, that stupid smile. Every day this is what she had to deal with. In the brief months Videl had been around Gohan she could only piece together a few bits of information about this boy.

One: He lived somewhere in the 439 mountain area; Videl had researched the area and found it was a secluded mountain range, completely isolated from any civilisation, the land was under the jurisdiction of the Ox-Kings rule. It was said to be very difficult to own land in such a place unless favour with the Ox-King was gained. Which begged the question of how Gohan and his family lived where they did, surely a country family like that could never afford the tuition of sending Gohan to a private school such as this.

Second: The boy spoke about his brother and mother very often, but never his father. Most chalked it up to him being some kind of mommas boy, others assumed his father had walked out on his family or it was just coincidence he never spoke of him. Videl meanwhile had multiple theories but was never able to support any of them thanks to her limited interactions with the boy.

Lastly: Gohan was invariably, unquestionably hiding something big. As far as Videl could tell, the boy was lying through his teeth every time he spoke. There is no way someone like Gohan could exist, it just wasn't possible. In only a single week he had managed to turn Orange Star High upside down.

The boy was a model student, he passed all his classes with perfect test scores, he never stepped out of line with the teachers and always obeyed the rules. He would boldly correct the teachers mistakes when they gave incorrect information. When this habit of his started, Videl relished at the idea of their physics teacher Mr. Vector to eat him alive on account of his 'Do not speak unless spoken too' rule. To Videls bewilderment the teacher only thanked Gohan for correcting him, and even went as far as to take Gohan's word for everything instead of checking the answer sheets! The ordeal had Videl seething with anger.

But it wasn't just the teachers, oh no. All the students were in on it too. First impressions had Gohan as a loner and a nerd, but everything quickly changed. Son Gohan was kind to everyone he interacted with, his positive attitude was like the plague and it spread to each student one after another. Even those who initially dismissed the idea of pursuing a friendship with the Son boy were now clambering just for a minute of his time. The boy had this uncanny ability to change anyone he met, and Videl found it pathetic, even her best friends had been infected with what she had dubbed the 'Gohan Virus'.

Sharpner was a stereotypical jock, high physical prowess and low mental capacity. He pestered those he deemed to be nerdy and ridiculed anyone who he could just to feel better about himself. That all changed when Gohan showed up, the blonde jock took to calling the new student poorly thought up insults such as 'Brains' and 'Nerd-Boy' hoping to get a rouse out of the Boy from the mountains. However, to his dismay, Gohan took little insult to these names, he accepted them in his stride and was nothing but polite to Sharpner. So much so that the blonde meat head defended Gohan the following week when he was the target of bullying courtesy of several boxing club members.

'_Piss off guys. Try to mess with brains again and you mess with me' _Videl recalled her friend saying to a group of narcissistic, muscle bound jerks. And it wasn't long before those same jerks started kissing up to Gohan as well, even going as far as too invite the boy to their table for lunch, an act reserved exclusively for those in their little party. In fact Gohan had been invited to spend time with every friendship group at the school.

Angela was well known around the school for her good looks and manipulation of the male population. The girl appeared to have a new boyfriend every other day, citing her reason as wanting an 'upgrade' from her previous boyfriend. That all changed when Gohan showed up, suddenly Angela was incapable of talking to Gohan the same way she did with every other boy, she would get flustered and walk away hiding her face. It even got to the point where Angela eventually gave up her attempts at flirting with Gohan, saying that he was a '_Good friend_' and she didn't want to _'Damage the friendship they had by starting a relationship'_. Not that Videl cared about Angela or her obsession with boys, not at all, what she couldn't stand was how everything had changed.

Surely someone with perfect test scores couldn't do everything right?

Wrong.

Mr. Perfect proved that theory false. The boy was always picked first for team sports, not because he was well liked but because of his seemingly infinite physical potential. Since starting at the new school Gohan had managed to break every school national record, in every sporting discipline. Track, field even swimming; Most records which had been set by Videl Satan herself the previous year. What managed to piss Videl off even more was the fact that he didn't just break those records, he demolished them, without even appearing the break a sweat.

The boy had broken the 400 meter, 800 meter and 1500 meter district and national running records back to back without break. And he did so with more than enough time to spare, and the worst part was that he wasn't even tired, while his competitors lay on the ground, exhausted from the run, Gohan wandered around as if he had completed a leisurely walk.

And still the Son boy was so freaking humble, he never acted self absorbed or let his ego run wild. He congratulated his competition, never spoke highly of himself and offered his services to anyone who asked. The boy was a walking embodiment of perfection. The only fault the boy had was he was quite shy, he never really initiated conversation and didn't appear adept at social interaction. And yet that made people like him even more! Girls thought it was cute and guys saw him as a trust worthy potential friend.

Chess club captain, regional baseball champion pitcher with 5 consecutive perfect games in the state tournament. Private tutor, Maths tournament champion with zero incorrect responses, mid term awards for every class, including high distinctions in physics, chemistry and biology, even a Principals award of excellence. The credentials were endless for the boy named Son Gohan…

Martial Arts nation wide champion of the boys division. That one got on Videls nerves. Here she was, the daughter of the world champion and saviour, Hercule Satan, revered for her unmatched fighting ability and tenacity, not even a single blemish on her fighting record. And now this boy arrives, and cleaned up his division, zero losses, knocking out his opposition every step of the way, not even a single hit landed on him for the whole tournament. It didn't take long after for the rumours to start, Gohan would be the first person to beat Videl was the popular theory, and that was too much. The girl gritted her teeth at the idea of losing, let alone to a nerd from the mountains. Oh how she wanted badly to wipe that grin off Gohan's face.

"_Sorry Videl, but you know the rules" Coach Bones informed "We operate under the school board rules, as well as the athletic commission. Males and Females competing in martial arts against one another at this school is strictly prohibited."_

Videl had practically begged her coach to allow her to fight Gohan one on one, but the idea was dismissed thanks to that damned rule. Unsurprisingly Videl was the nation champion of the female division, a feat she had accomplished five years running. Not that it was too difficult, most girls her age didn't relish the idea of competing in combat sports, so it was little challenge for her. But that was the problem, it was too easy, she could easily deck most of the brutes at her dad's gym, but on a professional level outside of the world tournament, genders fighting one another was never allowed. It irked Videl to no end, she was constantly underestimated because she wasn't fighting the same calibre of fighters that the men were. She just needed to find a way to get permission to fight Gohan.

Just then the girls thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Mr. Vector, the classes physics teacher make his appearance. He was an older man, late fifties, he still had a full head of hair unlike other men his age, a thick caterpillar moustache above his upper-lip and his usual unamused resting face gracing his face. He cleared his throat before delivering his opening statement.

"Morning class" he bellowed gaining the attention of all his students. Mr. Vector was very strict and he was notorious around the school for his low tolerance for tomfoolery. "I have finished grading last weeks mid term tests" he then proceeded to hand out each paper one by one to his students. "There had been a lot of improvement since last time. I am impressed" most students gave a sigh of relief as they received their paper. "However, some of you…" he then passed Videl her paper and eyed the girl critically, if there was one thing about Mr. Vector, subtlety did not exist in his vocabulary. "Still need to apply yourself if you intend to pass this course"

Videl tuned out the rest of the teachers comments as she laid eyes on her grade.

23/100, a solid 23%.

Videl gritted her teeth even tighter and clenched her jaw. The worst part was that this was not even the lowest score she had received for this class. At this point the girl was no longer on the brink of flunking, she was without question failing physics. The idea swirled her head, this was a blemish on her permanent record if she couldn't pull it together. Failing a class would no doubt put a wrench in her plans to be accepted to West City University, spots were hard to grab in that institution and even Hercule Satan himself was incapable of pulling strings to get her a place. Apparently the university received funding from the Brief family, the same family who owned and operated Capsule Corporation. Videl had dreamed of studying forensic science to one day work in the police force. Their science facilities were said to be greater than any other university, even more so than Satan City University.

At least the girl had comfort knowing that the rest of the class would have similar test results to her, after all, Mr. Vector was a hard ass.

"Holy shit!" Came a voice to Videls left. The girl turned her head expecting another mark in the lower percentiles etched onto Sharpner's paper. However, what she saw gave her the biggest shock of her life.

'_88%!' _It couldn't be possible, had she read it wrong? The girl scanned over his paper once more and confirmed her dread, Sharpner had actually managed a high grade in physics. _'He must have cheated!' _Videl assured herself, after all, this was Sharpner.

"Eek!" came a squeal from Erasa who flashed her paper to her friends. "I got an 85!" she exclaimed jumping for joy at the highly marked test.

There is no way this was possible. Both Sharpner and Erasa couldn't even manage a grade better than Videls, and now they were testing in the top percentiles?

Gradually Videls hear rate began to pick up, especially when her eyes glanced around the sea of students to a chorus of cheers and excited noises at their results. Choruses of marks in the 80's rung across the classroom and even the occasional 90's. Everyone who was scoring low marks suddenly understood physics?

This had to be a joke, it couldn't be real.

"Seventy!" rang a ear piecing screech, Videl nearly fainted right there. Angela got a seventy?! the girl who didn't even know what acceleration or velocity meant? She got a seventy? Granted it seemed to be the lowest of the majority, but it was far greater than Videls result.

Someone had to be responsible for this.

And then it happened.

All eyes turned around, staring up at one person in the back row, the one person who had perfect 100 out of 100 on his scorecard. They all gave the boy a curt nod or thumbs up, some even mouthed what appeared to be 'Thank you' to the boy. Videls neck slowly forced it's way to get a better view of the boy she despised so much. The boy was again rubbing the back of his head again, this time looking down at his paper and nervously laughing lightly, as if he was embarrassed by all the attention. Videl was now beyond confused, and she needed answers, luckily her wish was granted instantaneously.

"Thanks for the help man, all that tutoring really paid off!" Sharpner thanked whilst giving the Son boy a heavy pat on the back.

'_Tutoring?'_

Erasa nodded her head in agreement. "You should really be a teacher Gohan, I never thought in a million years I would understand anything Mr. Vector was talking about"

Gohan chuckled without a care in the world. "Gee thanks" his voice somewhat flustered by all the praise. "I guess I never really put much thought into pursuing a career in education. Besides, I really didn't do all that much, you figured it out mostly by yourselves"

"You're kidding right?" Sharpner shot back. "You don't have to try and make us feel better about ourselves brains. Erasa and I wouldn't have been able to understand the questions, let alone answer them correctly if it wasn't for you." The blonde female counterpart nodded her head eagerly, obviously echoing the same thoughts.

"Well I…" Gohan began. However this time he was rudely interrupted.

"Am I missing something here!?" Videl harshly exclaimed, her jaw was clenched tightly and a glare that could intimidate even the most notorious crime lord was etched perfectly onto her hardened features. Gohan quickly shut his mouth and furrowed his brows at the interruption.

"Gohan here started tutoring a couple of weeks ago in the library." Erasa swiftly responded. She was aware Videl knew about the private tutoring the boy did to assist his classmates, after all, Videl seemed to have an obsession with knowing everything about the boy, except she refused to acknowledge his existence when it came to social interaction.

"And… You two actually asked for help?" Videl grounded out, betrayed that her closest friends would stoop so low as to go behind her back and ask Gohan of all people for private tutoring. The Satan girl had caught wind of Gohan's little study group through overhearing a conversation between two girls in the hall, but she scoffed at the thought of ever attending and never anticipated for anyone to actually be there… Or for it to actually work.

Meanwhile tall boy in question merely listened closely to the conversation which he was very clearly being excluded from courtesy of Videl. He didn't quite understand the girl, she had been cold to him since they had met. And whilst Gohan maintained a positive mindset even when around her, he simply did not understand why she was distant and pretentious around him. The boy simply shrugged at the thought, he supposed that was just her way, he was willing to leave her alone if that was her wish, he had no reason to pursue a friendship with someone if they did not reciprocate the gesture.

"Come on Vi" Erasa pleaded at her friends sour attitude. "It's not like we had a choice, Sharpie and I were both flunking physics. Besides Gohan is amazing, he can like, explain anything in a way we understand." Videl merely gagged aloud, clearly indicating she was not interested in hearing her comments or being a part of these activities.

Mr. Vector then began initiating class once he had handed out all the results, to the girls shock, everyone had text books out and pens at the ready. Where were the sleeping jocks? The gossiping girls? Everyone was actually paying attention now. And Videl knew, it was all because of Son Gohan. Everything had changed since he came to Orange Star High.

The girl was left with her thoughts, staring blankly at the test results in front of her, it was demoralizing. She may have not been the best at physics, but she was never the worst, Videl Satan did not lose at anything. But now she did, and it was all thanks to Son Gohan.

"Videl, is your desk more interesting than my class?" Came the booming voice of the teacher stood in from the classroom. Videl quickly snapped her head up from her blank stare to see a impatient Mr. Vector eyeing her expectantly.

"Not at all sir!" Videl quickly responded.

"Well then, why don't you solve the problem I have written on the board since it appears you know already know the answer and do not need to pay attention." He bellowed not accepting the girls response.

Videl nearly shot back a sarcastic remark, however she refrained, less she antagonize her teacher further after scoring the lowest score in the room. Standing at her desk, Videl read the question carefully. There was a diagram of a plane in the centre of the board with the problem written above. _'Use the method of dimensions to obtain the form of the dependence of the lift force per unit wingspan…' _ Videl trailed off in her mind. _'What is this gibberish?' _Videl let out a low growl at the terminology she could not understand.

"I do not know the answer" Videl grounded out with much distaste.

The teacher regarded her critically, and did not break eye contact with her. "Gohan!" he called out, not even bothering to look at the boy, he simply watched Videl.

The boy beside her stood to attention. "Yes sir?" The Saiyan Hybrid responded.

"Would you please tell Videl and the rest of the class what the answer is" Videl trembled with anger, her eyes still in a dead lock with Mr. Vector who simply raised his bushy eyebrows at her as Gohan answered.

"0.45 sir" Gohan quickly deduced without hesitation.

"And why is that?" he asked, still watching Videl, not even regarding the boy for a second.

"Well, most aircraft wings have lift coefficients in the range of 0.2 to 0.6. Depending on the design of the wing and its orientation to the air-crafts motion. The cruising speed would be about 250 metres per second minus 1 for a plane with the wing area and overall mass like the one in the diagram, so the lift coefficient under such conditions would be equal to 0.45." Gohan explained in detail, some students nodded their head as the boy explained, seeming to understand, whilst others quickly jotted down some notes.

"Exactly right my boy!" Mr. Vector praised, before finally meeting the boys gaze with a warm smile. "Now Videl" he said, moving his attention back to the girl "If you aren't going to pay attention, at least have the common sense to know your facts first. Please turn to page 113 in your text book and keep your eyes from wandering."

Videl hung her head, pissed off, angry, frustrated. This was the largest insult she could imagine, being shown up by the nerd of all were few giggles from the students sat in front of her to serve as fuel to the fire.

"I would also like to see you at the end of class Videl" the teacher said with his face to the white board.

A few low 'oohs' chorused through the students which were quickly silenced by Mr. Vectors intense gaze.

50 minutes later the bell rung, indicating the end of the period. Students slowly filed out of the room, wandering off to their next destination as they spoke amongst themselves. Eventually the room was baron with the exception of Videl and her teacher. Erasa mouthed "Good luck" to her friend before disappearing with the remainder of her peers, Videl watched them file out and sent a icy glare to Gohan as the boy glanced over to her on his way out. It was a look of sympathy, like she needed worthless pity from someone who had intentionally made her look bad.

"Now Videl. We need to talk about your recent test results" Mr. Vector began. "It's obvious you are struggling. Your grades have been steadily declining each month, if you continue like this I will have no choice but to fail you."He laid it out, clear as day and Videl nodded slowly in shame. "I understand that some teachers have been lenient with your grades on account of your father, but that won't fly in my class. You have as much obligation as everyone else to apply yourself to this course. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir" Videl responded with a grimace, hoping to leave as soon as possible.

"Good. And there is another matter I wish to discuss" the man told her as she made an approach to the leave the room. "The attitude you are bringing to this class… I don't want to see it any more. I've noticed a lack of respect for your peers in recent weeks Videl, and if I witness any continued offences I will be taking this to the principal. Being thrust into celebrity status at your age may be difficult Videl, but keep it in check, not everyone is as tolerant in the real world." Mr. Vector eyed her up and down, bother eyebrows raised in expectation before returning to the papers on his desk. "Now time for your next class, and if I may. Perhaps you should seek some sort of private tutoring if you intend to rectify the problems you are having in my class. I hear Gohan is accepting students in the library, he's a very switched on boy, you could learn a lot."

Videl swiftly turned heel and exited the room, nearly slamming the door behind her in the process, grumbling all the way to her next class. _'Learn from Gohan? The only thing that self absorbed nerd could teach me is how to be a goody two-shoes, lying jerk'_ The girl screamed harshly in her head. She could have sworn if she heard his name one more time she was going to explode.

"So what did Mr. Grumbles have to say?" Erasa chirped matching her best friends strides down the hall, ignoring the ever present Satan glare.

"None of your business!" Videl snapped, her tone indicating she had no intentions of carrying on this topic of conversation.

"Harsh" Sharpner butted in catching up to the pair. "Just because you're failing physics doesn't mean you have to drag everyone else down Vi"

Suddenly the girl pinned the boy up against the row of lockers covering the walls, her forearm over his throat and a fist ready to land clean on his stomach. "Butt out Sharpner, otherwise I'll take you down to rock bottom, got it?!" She threatened, her eyes full of fire, the girl was seeing red and was willing to take it out on anyone who dared to tread on the line.

The boy however just smiled, he smiled at the girl, the single most intimidating girl in the known world knew was being smiled at by her friend. "Did I strike a nerve?" he commented smugly. "Sorry Videl, but no dice." The boy stood nonchalantly staring back at his threat.

After a tense few seconds Videl removed her arm from the boy and stormed off, muttering comments about how she would kill that blonde boy. This was the third time Sharpner had shrugged off her threats like it was nothing. Little did Videl know, it was yet another gift Gohan had given her.

* * *

'_Try that again and I'll rip your arm off Sharpner!' Videl screamed after catching the boy flirting with her once more. She then delivered a swift strike to the boys arm after he ducked his head anticipating the strike after she made the threat. The girl, satisfied with her handiwork, walked off in a huff._

'_Damn that hurt' Sharpner commented, rubbing his bruised arm. Videl was certainly someone not to be trifled with. And even though the two were friends, Sharpner had taken more beatings than he could count from the Satan girl, and she always knew how to put the fear into his heart._

'_You don't have to be so scared of her, you know' came a deep voice from beside Sharpner. The blonde jock blinked a few times in confusion at his friend Gohan._

'_In case you hadn't realised brains, she is Videl SATAN! As in daughter of Hercule Satan' the boy exclaimed. However all Gohan could do was chuckle._

'_Well in case you hadn't realised, she relishes in the fact of you being scared' Gohan stated, turning his eyes up from the book he was engrossed in._

'_What's your point?'_

'_You can learn a lot from someone by the way they fight. Videl is an exceptional martial artist, and she gives off an air of invincibility and skill. She fights harder when she is challenged and enjoys it when she is able to strike fear into her opponent'_

_Sharpner yet again, blinked several times at the statement. Gohan had observed this by watching her fight? _

'_So how does that help me?' The blonde questioned, now intrigued._

'_Simple, don't be scared. Videl will actively seek someone she can terrify to make herself feel better, she fights with the intention of hurting when she is mad or frustrated. When she is in that mindset she isn't going to bother hurting her opponent if they don't fear her or pain. If you don't want her to hurt you, then remain calm, don't fear her or challenge her because that will make it worse. Just make yourself appear like a target who isn't willing to give her satisfaction, if she doesn't get a response or rise out of you then there is nothing to worry about' Gohan concluded before packing his book into his bag. 'Oh, and obviously stop that… Touchy flirty thing you do, I don't think Videl likes it' he then shrugged and wandered off leaving the blonde jock to his own thoughts._

'_I guess it's worth a shot'_

* * *

How right Gohan had been. The boy was spot on the mark, everything he had said turned out the be correct, Videl had no idea how to deal with Sharpner now that he had this new found ability to remain calm in the face of adversity around her. Despite relenting on pummelling the boy, Videl could not shake the fire burning inside her.

"Some friends you are! Going behind my back and being all goody goody with Gohan of all people!" She was now attracting a small audience of people who gave the girl confused glances.

"Why are you so against Gohan?" Erasa asked seriously.

"You know why. He's a liar and a stuck up jerk who thinks he's better than everyone. And everyone kisses his ass for it." She stated.

"Come on Videl, we all know that's a load of bullshit" Sharpner shot back, getting tired of hearing the girl badmouth Gohan like he was a fraud. Before the girl could fire back at the boy, Erasa chimed in.

"Videl, are you jealous?" She wondered.

The mere thought made Videl visibly stiffen. "Jealous?" Videl laughed at the prospect. "You're kidding me right."

"It's just a theory" the blonde girl shrugged. "But ever since Gohan started gaining popularity around here you've been more moody around him. That and he's managed to break all your sport records, I think you are jealous that he's challenged your popularity and abilities."

"More popular?" Videl said before breaking into a fit of laughter. "As if a nerd like him could ever make a Satan jealous over that, I mean, I am Videl Satan after all"

"Wow Videl, I don't think this school is big enough for that ego of yours" Sharpner shot back in a venomous tone. "I think Erasa is right on one thing. You think you're such hot shit that because of your name you're worth more than everyone else. Maybe if you stopped to think about it, you'd see Gohan is the real deal." The boy then stormed off, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Whatever" Videl disregarded, watching Sharpner walk off. "If you're going to be all pissy then fine, at least I know who my real friends are."

Erasa meanwhile stood, unsure of how to approach the situation, on one hand, she believed the comments Sharpner made did hold some weight, on the other Videl wasn't intentionally acting all high and mighty… Right?

The rest of the school day went by too slowly for Videl's liking, there was a grand tension in the air between herself and Sharpner during class. The only one in the vicinity who seemed unaffected by it was Gohan, who happily finished his English paper before assisting Sharpner with certain phrases and spell checked for Erasa at her request.

With the final bell signalling the end of the day, the students began packing their belongings away into their personal lockers for the evening. Videl was just about finished before noting the dreaded physics test which was sat on top of her book pile. She glanced over the sheet once more and sighed, she did not have a chance in hell of passing at this rate. Even if she studied every night until the next test, she had no way of cramming all that knowledge in unless it was explained to her.

Looking to her right she was met with the sight of Gohan, casually stowing away his books. The sight made Videl's skin crawl, she then took one more look at the paper and growled. This was all his fault, she couldn't concentrate in class thanks to him.

Without even realizing what she was doing, the girl marched up to the boy, intending to get some payback. The boy turned around at the last second, as if he sensed her approaching. His eyes were met with a short raven haired teen, scowl plastered on her face and a poorly executed paper in one hand.

"This" she said flashing the paper to his face. "Is your fault!"

Gohan raised his eyebrows at the sudden tone she used and the fact that Videl had actually spoken directly to him, it was common practice for her to actively avoid him. The boy then furrowed his brows in confusion whilst giving the paper a once over. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." The boy shrugged not at all getting where Videl was coming from.

"You're the reason I'm failing physics, if it wasn't for you making a mockery out of me in class then I wouldn't be in this mess."

"I'm really sorry" Gohan apologised sincerely. "I wasn't aware I was interfering with your studies." even though he still didn't understand the situation, he was polite as ever, as was his way.

"You're going to fix this!" Videl claimed, disregarding his apology. "Here's how it is going to work. The next time Mr. Vector gives us a take home assignment for physics, you will submit your work under my name, no questions asked."

Gohan blinked, once, twice, three times before breaking into a grimace. "But that's kind of disingenuous don't you think?" he responded, meanwhile Videl's hand balled into a fist. "Again, I'm sorry if I offended you or made it difficult for you to concentrate. But I'm not agreeing to jeopardise my credibility by breaking school rules. I can offer you a cram session of tutoring in the library after school if you like. Jonathan is out sick with the flu and left an opening for tomorrow."

'_That's his game is it?' _Videl sternly thought. "Gah, you're such a goody two-shoes! Listen to me nerd-boy, I'm going to get what I asked for, one way or another" With that, Videl stuffed the physics test into her bag and stomped out of the school grounds, leaving a confused Gohan standing alone in an empty hallway.

"Okay well… See you tomorrow then!" the boy called back with a weak smile. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to understand the enigma that was Videl Satan.

* * *

The plan was full proof, it was a win-win situation for Videl. She just had to get the wheel in motion. As soon as the girl had arrived home she specifically asked her butler as to the whereabouts of her father. Naturally the world saviour himself was situated in his archive room, a plethora of official Hercule Satan merchandise graced the shelves covering all four walls of the room. The man was strewn casually on a luxurious recliner, an expensive glass of liquor in one hand and eyes glued to the large TV located in front of him. Videl shook her head, she couldn't remember the last time her dad had lifted a single finger since cashing in on his victory at the Cell Games, now he spent most of his days drinking and re-watching his old World Martial Arts Tournament days. The world champ bellowed with laughter as his younger self struck a victory pose on screen after having progressed to the semi-finals.

"Dad?" Videl called to him softly. Said man kept his eyes on the screen but still responded to his daughter.

"Oh Videl, you're home." He swiftly said, placing his glass on the coffee table in front of him.

"I need your help with something" She blurted out with authority. She doubted there was anyone else in the world who was capable of speaking to Hercule Satan in the same manner that she did.

"How much this time?" The man questioned, taking his credit card from the wallet in his back pocket. The act made Videl roll her eyes, the man always assumed any problem could be solved with money.

"Nothing like that dad. I need help with this jerk at school" Her face then set into a grimace as Hercule visibly stiffened.

"This jerk, wouldn't happen to be a boy now would it?" he grounded out through clenched teeth.

"Relax dad" Videl ordered. "I'm not interested in him. I want to fight him"

Hercules eyes grew wide and he scratched his head. "Fight him? Come on Videl, why would you want to bother yourself with the twigs down at that school?" The man recovered.

"You remember Gohan right? The boy who won the nation wide title for martial arts?"

Hercule began jogging his memory, vaguely recalling a couple of articles in the local paper about the results of the 18 and under martial arts tournament. Sure enough Videl was front page news for her record setting fifth title. However there were a few mentions of a new young prospect who had looked unbeatable through the entire tournament, a tall, dark haired boy called Gohan. There had been a picture printed on the front page with both Videl and Gohan stood side by side after having been presented their trophies, Videl had a stern look on her face while Gohan broke into an embarrassed grin. Hercule remembered seeing the picture and believing that the boy looked familiar, though he was unable to figure where from.

"I believe I remember, yes" He nodded in affirmation.

"Well everyone seems to think he's a better fighter than me. Thanks to school rules they won't let me prove everyone wrong, could you maybe help me?" Videl asked with a sparkle in her eyes, once she used that her dad was a goner.

"Bahahahaha" Hercule laughed. "You want to wail on that little twerp? That's my girl. Alright then, I'll call the school about this injustice. I doubt they will refuse Hercule Satan." The man continued to laugh, echoing through the halls, all the while Videl had a smug smirk on her face. This was just too good.

* * *

Fourth period couldn't have come sooner. All the students filed into the gym sporting clothes suitable for light sparring and crowded around Mr. Bones, a taller man, dark tanned skin and short cropped haircut. The man was stood in the centre of the gym room. The large space was home to a martial arts facility. The whole room floor had mats used for martial arts fights cut into the ground and various lines marking the area which served as boundaries. Typically students would pair up find a place in the room and practice techniques with one another, this time though, things were different.

"Afternoon all" The teacher called. "Before we begin I have a special treat for all of you. At the request of Hercule Satan himself, Videl Satan will go one on one in an exhibition match against a student of her choosing, boy or girl." The students began muttering to themselves about this new rule. "Videl, who will your opponent be?" The man asked, though he knew what the answer would be.

Looking over to the students Videl smiled, the smile of the devil. "I want to fight Gohan!" she announced which received a sea of gasps, it was finally going to happen.

"Very well" Mr. Bones accepted, not too pleased with the rules being bent the way they were, but he had little influence over the word of Hercule, the school agreed to his terms as soon as the man threatened to cut their funding under his name. "Everyone please move to the edge of the mats!"

Gohan meanwhile was quite during the entire ordeal. He had heard rumours about a Gohan and Videl grudge match but never thought anything of it, even though he loved to fight and train, he wasn't keen on the idea of fighting a girl. It went against everything his mother had taught him. "Videl, I don't want to fight you." He said calmly after approaching her.

Videl however was prepared for such a comment. "Too chicken huh? I knew you wouldn't have the balls to fight me." her response was harsh and intended to hurt the boys ego. Unluckily for her, the boy did not have an ego that could be slandered.

Gohan blushed lightly at the mention of his genitals before responding. "It's not that. My mum told me to never hit women" he then shrugged which earned a growl from Videl.

"Well then lets make this interesting. An incentive to fight me." Videl smirked, her plan was now in action. "If you win, I'll humour you and attend your tutoring sessions. But if I win, you agree to my terms of submitting your work under my name."

Gohan gawked for a second before weighing his options. He wanted to help Videl, he just didn't know how. He wasn't willing to break school rules though, and the girl would learn nothing by having someone else do her dirty work. Besides, maybe this would be good for her in the long run. Breaking into a smile the boy nodded. "Okay, sounds good to me."

Both students took their positions on the mat. Gohan discarded the long sleeve over top he had, leaving him clad in only his gi. It was full white with a light blue waist band, arm bands and boots. He also had a odd looking symbol sewn into the fabric over the left side of his chest. Unbeknownst to everyone attending, this was the symbol for Saiyan, it signified that he was born to their race and his heart was for them. Occupying the part of his back was a large symbol for the Demon school, the first school Gohan had trained under, thanks to Piccolo. The girls of the school hungrily took in the boys unmatched physique. His sculpted arms and hardened chest perfectly befitted a warrior like Gohan.

Videl meanwhile stayed true to her image of simplicity. Bike shorts, a large white shirt, simple and easy.

Both students then removed their shoes, which were illegal in this environment, leaving them barefooted for this fight. They then busied themselves with fitting the customary open fingered fighting gloves designed to protect their knuckles and fingers (Though it mattered little to Gohan whether he had gloves or not), whilst the teacher explained the rules.

"Okay you two. Let's keep it clean. If you do not protect yourselves I will stop the fight. It's tournament rules, meaning you win by way of knock out, submission or ring out. If at the end of 20 minutes there is no winner I will judge the fight to declare one." Mr. Bones stated with authority.

"No" Videl shot back. "No time limit or ring out. We fight until it's over"

"Videl, I'm afraid that's…" The teacher reasoned before being cut off.

"We can ask my father if you want" She fired back, not willing to relent in the slightest.

All Mr. Bones could do was sigh in defeat. "Son, do you agree to these terms?"

Gohan locked eyes with Videl and smiled. He was now allowing his instincts to take hold, this was one of the only times Gohan allowed his pride to reveal itself. "I accept" he agreed.

"Very well" the man shrugged. "If you both understand the rules then wait for my mark!"

Amongst the sea of students, two blondes sat on the edge of their seats in the bleachers watching intently. "Can she win?" Erasa asked bluntly, relying on Sharpner for a running commentary for the fight.

The boy pondered the question before responding. "We have never seen Gohan tested before. Heck, he beat me at the tournament in only a few moves, but Videl rises to everyone she has fought… And yet, there is something about Gohan, something that's hard to figure out."

"And what's that?" Erasa questioned.

"Begin!" The coach called.

"I don't think we've ever seen Gohan go all out"


	2. Chapter 2

Both fighters met in the centre of the mat. Gohan had suppressed his Ki, disallowing him from using it to enhance any of his attacks, something he had trained hard with Piccolo to do. Even as a Saiyan, the boy had honour and did not pick fights he could win with a single gesture. He had also brought his power level down low enough to be in perfect sync with Videls, now the two were perfectly equal in terms of strength, this would be a matter of skill and strategy above all else. But the boy did not intend to lose despite giving the girl a fighting chance.

Opting for the traditional Satan stance, Videl brought her hands up high, guarding her head primarily and stood firm on her front leg. She took the moment to observe her opponents stance as they circled each other, getting a feel for one another's movements. Gohan went for a boxing and karate hybrid stance. His left arm hung down low by his front leg, whilst his right hand was up by his chin, he employed a wide leg base and bounced around on his toes. Suddenly the boy circled the other direction and switched stances, he swapped his feet to be opposite configuration. He then arched his back so he was lower to the ground and had one arm out to his head, confusing Videl as to where his first strike would come from.

The students watched the exchange, intrigued. Those who did not have sufficient fighting knowledge did not quite understand. "He's switching stances to confuse her" Sharpner explained to Erasa. "One of his biggest strengths is that he can fight from any position. Most martial artists have a single stance they are most comfortable with. Gohan however can use multiple stances. By changing stances frequently then you can't predict what he's going to do next."

'_Damn it stand still!' _Videl cursed internally. She was waiting to find an opening to land a clean blow, but every-time he moved or changed direction he would switch the side of his stance or move his arms to different configurations. Having enough of this, Videl charged forward, throwing a straight left hand, followed by a right hook and finishing it with a high kick.

Gohan effortlessly tilted his head for the left to miss, leaned back to allow the right to sail past his face and ducked under the high kick. He then pushed forward and darted behind the girl back to the centre of the mat. He then reset himself and decided to continue on with his strategy. The boy proceeded to throw feints, faking a right hand, moving forward quickly and pretending to throw the left after. Videl quickly reacted, bobbing and weaving at the fakes.

"He's feinting to gain a reaction. He pulls back his attacks at the last second to gauge how she reacts to different strikes, he's reading her movements hoping to use it against her." Sharpner said smirking. "Brains is trying to outsmart her"

Videl leaned down to her left side, expecting a wild left hook from Gohan to sail over her head, but yet again the boy was throwing another feint. Growling the girl charged forward again, this time Gohan decided to make her pay. As the girl moved in, Gohan slid back gracefully, throwing his lead hand up, pumping a series of jabs onto his opponents face each time she moved forward. The last jab snapped Videls head back and seemed to visibly stun her.

His movements reminded the crowd of a cobra or viper. He would pounce only when he needed, remaining graceful and stoic in his stance before counter striking when given the opportunity. He did not waste a single motion, he only used his attacks when he needed, never throwing anything that he knew wouldn't land, it was perfect technique and fight IQ.

"Why does Gohan keep moving away like that?" Erasa asked, watching Videl rush forward again whilst Gohan kept her at bay with his hand and moving back.

"Because he's counter striking her" Sharpner explained. "He waits for her to make the first move and uses her technique against her, finding openings and forcing her to use more energy. He's also showing her that she doesn't have the speed advantage like she thought."

Just then Videl cornered Gohan, cutting him off from escaping. She threw a kick to hit Gohan in the stomach, but he was faster, the boy extended his leg and front kicked her body, knocking her off balance and pushing her to the ground. She quickly recovered and ignored the series of gasps at the move. _'Why can't I hit him!?' _Videl growled, quickly getting to her feet, watching Gohan switch stance again.

"You going to dance all day or actually fight back?!" She called out, ignoring the fact that her nose was red from all the jabs she had received.

To her dismay, Gohan remained locked in, his eyes, a deep predatory gaze. The sight sent shivers down Videls spine, it was almost like an inhuman stare. Shaking her head from the thought Videl tried a new tactic, she started moving around, throwing feints of her own, but not getting a single reaction out of the boy, it was as if he could read she was faking.

The sight made Gohan smirk, this is what he wanted. The boy stepped in, faking with a high left hand, the act made Videl cover her head with her hands expecting the impact, but at the last second Gohan leaned down and let loose a viscous right punch to Videls midsection, followed with a left hand to her liver, the result made Videl grunt in pain. Gohan pivoted to his left, cutting angles masterfully so he was on the girls left side. Having had the wind knocked out of her Videl's hands had slumped down to her body to protect the area she had just been hit, leaving her head open where Gohan unleashed a brain rattling right uppercut.

Time seemed to slow down and the audience gasped aloud as Videl crumpled and fell backward, dazed. She wasn't unconscious yet, but she was struggling to get back to her feet, stumbling and wobbling with each step she tried to get her footing back. This was the first time Videl had ever been cracked as badly as this. She could feel the blood pouring from her mouth. It tasted bitter. The thought fired her up even more. _' This is impossible, I can't lose'_ Videl thought to herself before regaining her feet.

Things however were different. Gohan remained light on his feet, bouncing around and continuing to change stances, showing no signs of fatigue thanks to his ability to use as little energy as he needed. Videl meanwhile was flat footed, she was tired, her movement was slow and hands were no longer guarding herself. But that would not deter her.

The daughter of Hercule decided to blitz, she threw everything she had, jabs, uppercuts, hooks, kicks, elbows, knees. Everything was easily dodged. Gohan slid back, moving his head and cutting angles swiftly to avoid Videl, a true master. Sharpner couldn't help but marvel at the impeccable head movement. Gohan had often described martial arts as a physical game of chess, he had never understood it until know. The boy was making moves in anticipation of how Videl would react, he could see the raven haired girls moves before she made them, because he was always one step ahead.

Videl finally snapped, she had one final move, one that had never failed her. She had self taught herself this as a last resort. The girl eyed her opponent who seemed calm as ever, she cursed his name. "Take this!" she yelled.

Pivoting to her right, Videl uncorked a spinning right hand punch, before ducking down and turning to her left where she leapt high, throwing a kick which would easily floor the Son boy.

The crowd grew silent.

Gohan had ducked down, allowing the kick to move over his head again. Videl gasped at the feeling of hitting nothing but air. It couldn't be possible, Videl was sure she had him. No one could avoid that.

But Gohan had.

Without having time to react, Gohan pounced on his opponent, throwing yet another feint. This time a left hand, and just like earlier Videl reacted, leaning down expecting the fist to go high. But it didn't, she was wrong again. Seizing the opportunity, Gohan switched his attack and threw a kick of his own. His shin landed on the side of Videl's head as she leaned down, not at all seeing the change happen.

It wasn't enough force to knock Videl out, Gohan had made sure of that, he only intended to knock her down.

Once again on her back, Videl bounced to get back up, but this time Gohan was on top of her. He had straddled the girls back, locking his strong legs around her midsection in a body triangle. Videl tried to buck the boy off, but his large frame made it too difficult and the girl slumped onto the mat face first with Gohan on her. She covered the sides of her face with her hands, expecting more punches, instead Gohan sneakily slipped his forearm and bicep under her chin and proceeded to lock in the rear naked choke.

Videl could feel her head start to go faint, the tighter Gohan squeezed the more she could feel her brain slipping. She tried her best to fight his hands, gasping trying to get air, but to no avail, Gohan's grip was locked in. It was only a matter of seconds before Videl's eyes had shut and she was unconscious.

Videl awoke some seconds later, her eyes clouded and burning from the gym lights. Just what had happened? She was being tended to by Mr. Bones. "You okay Videl?" he asked with concern.

The poor girl couldn't recall a single thing, last she remembered she was fighting Gohan. Then nothing, did she win? She couldn't remember, being choked to sleep had that effect. She looked up to see Mr. Bones smile in relief as the girl seemed only a little confused, but otherwise in one piece.

The teacher motioned for Videl to stay where she was before walking to the tall teen boy and raising his arm. "Winner by technical knock out, due to a rear naked choke. Gohan!" The man announced to a crowd of stunned onlookers.

"What!" The girl croaked, her voice still groggy from the fight.

"Good fight you two, it was hard fought" Mr. Bones congratulated, although he was aware the battle was as one sided as possible. In truth, the tall man had expected Gohan to be victorious, although not officially a fighter any longer, Mr. Bones did know talent when he saw it, and the Son boy was practically oozing knowledge and skill. Frankly, he didn't foresee an outcome Videl could win, but neither did he suspect the affair to end as easily as it had. "Everyone is to partner up and continue light sparring whilst I tend to Videl" He bellowed wandering to the still woozy girl.

"I really lost?" The girl asked herself, looking up to see her opponent watching her intently, Videl couldn't contain a gulp at the sight. It was hard to tell how large the boy was when blinded by anger, but from this position it was very clear. Videl eyed him carefully, expecting a quip about his victory. "Come to gloat?" She snapped.

To her surprise the boy merely smiled and bowed to her. "It was a good fight." he claimed sincerely.

Videl watched the boy wide eyed, she was about to allow the comment to slide until she noticed the remainder of the class witnessing the interaction, she at least had to save some face, she had a reputation to uphold, regardless of how it was not in tatters after that display.

"Don't mock me!" She snapped. "Just because you won, you think you can fake good sportsmanship?"

"It's not about winning" She heard the boy mutter with a sigh. "Martial arts is about learning, discipline and dedication. If everyone relied on winning as a motivation then some of the best fighters in the world would never have existed, they would have quit a long time ago. The greatest martial artists lost just as many battles as they won before cementing their legacies." Videl couldn't contain her surprise at the lecture. Since when did he become a life coach?

"Excellent lesson. Though the desire to win is still a strong motivator, having a goal to reach is more appropriate." Mr. Bones chimed in. "Why don't you pair up and continue the lesson while I escort Videl to the nurse."

Gohan merely nodded and wandered off to find a suitable partner, however most students chose to steer clear of the boy after witnessing him effortlessly defeat one of the strongest fighters in the world, someone who many were considering as the dark horse to win the upcoming world martial arts tournament. "Tutoring starts at 3:40 in the library study room" Gohan gestured to the clock before walking off.

Videl groaned, she had lost sight of the bet she had made, now she would be forced to endure a torturous after school session with someone she chose to avoid at all cost. _'Great, I've spent so long distancing myself from him, now I am forced to sit in a small study room with him'. _She was then swiftly escorted out of the room by her teacher despite her objections. "Sorry Videl, but we need to ensure there is no serious damage" He explained.

Meanwhile still in the gym, Gohan was approached by his two blonde friends, each itching to get some serious details.

"Gee Gohan, did you really have to go and choke her out like that?" Erasa asked, worried for her best friends health.

The boy just rubbed the back of his head in response. "Sorry, I thought she would have tapped out before going out. Guess I underestimated her toughness" he chuckled.

"Well you should be more careful. What if she has some sort of injury?"

"I didn't do it to hurt her" Gohan claimed finding his voice. "I did it to avoid having to hurt her"

At that statement Erasa tilted her head in confusion, as did Sharpner who was listening intently. "What do you mean?"

"When I took her back I had two options, continue to strike or finish it through other means. I had her controlled on the ground and if I decided to punch her while she was down then I could easily have knocked her out then and there" He explained.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Two reasons, one; I don't agree with attacking someone who turns their back. The fight would not have been called unless she gave up, and hitting her from behind would simply have been a cowardly act. Two; if I had inflicted more damage to her then she would run the risk of future concussion symptoms or even brain damage. The choke I used cuts off blood and air supply to the brain, basically giving the sensation of forcibly going to sleep. If held on for too long it can kill someone, however as soon as I felt Videl's body go limp I released the hold, she was never in any danger and she will be back to normal in no time with no serious lingering injuries." Both blondes gaped at the explanation.

"Wow, strong and chivalrous" Erasa swooned. "You're such a cutie, being all worried for Videl" The last comment made Gohan blush lightly, he was no good when it came to girls.

* * *

Videl had spend the rest of the period recovering from her fight. Despite her insistence that she was fine, the teachers had protocol to follow and could not run the risk of skipping any steps. At least she had time to ponder the fight. It took a few minutes for Videl to remember the fight in full before it ended. The key elements she could recall were the constant switching stances and movement Gohan had employed. _'Who the hell taught him to fight like that?' _She wondered. Those studying under the banner of Hercule Satan himself certainly did not fight like that, so she could scratch her dad off that list. Her mind listed multiple fighting schools, but none replicated what Gohan had done, in fact Videl wasn't even able to identify the insignias on the boys gi, they were unlike any she had ever seen. _'Private dojo? Family member maybe?' _The girl growled in frustration, she needed answers. Mainly how had he beaten her? She had to know.

Whilst most students filed out of the school grounds, Videl was forbidden from joining them, instead this time heading to the library against her will. Initially the Satan girl tossed around the prospect of going against the deal and simply leaving. However there were two issues she found with this. One was that there were many witnesses to this bet, if word got out that she had broken her promise then she would lose her image that she had spent so long building. Second was simply that Videl Satan was a girl of her word, even in the eyes of a two-bit nerd-boy.

Said boy was waiting patiently for his pupils arrival, a series of papers laid out on the table in front of him. He smiled widely as Videl entered the room, however the toothy grin faltered slightly when the girl slammed her text books on to the desk, a loud thud resonated through the library, earning a few disgruntled noises from the occupants of the room.

"Lets get this over with" Videl ordered with about as neutral of a tone and face as one was able to muster.

Gohan meanwhile had not noticed the tone she used and quickly dove into his noted. "Okay so, I thought it be best to start with a few practice questions to see what areas we should focus on, nothing difficult. Just use the proper formulas to solve these." He then handed over a paper which contained a series of hand written physics problems.

Videl was on the verge of retorting but remembered the deal, she did say she would 'humour' the boy, that meant no back talk. And quite frankly, the less social interaction they had the better. There was no point being here any longer than she needed. Swiftly the girl snatched the paper from the boys hand and glanced over each question, her brows furrowed with nearly every problem, physics was just a load of gibberish and analytics's as far as she was concerned. Who needed to know the drag coefficient of something in the real world anyway?

Gohan ran his eyes over her answers… It was not impressive.

"Okay, so…" The boy trailed off, resisting the urge of gulp at her answers. "It seems like we have some work to do. Why don't we start with some simple formulas?" he suggested, noting the heated glare he was receiving.

"How did you do it?" Videl questioned, the tone she chose to use was heavy with authority.

"Do what?" Gohan replied puzzled.

"No one has ever beaten me before, let alone the way you did. How did you do it? Who trained you?"

"I thought we were here to study" Gohan shot back with a shrug.

"Well I'm not studying until I get answers" Gohan almost sighed at how stubborn this girl was.

"Tell you what. As soon as you score a perfect ten for ten from the practice test I gave you, I'll answer all the questions you have. Fair?"

Videl was about to protest further but chose to hold her tongue. She at least had an opportunity for answers, she wasn't willing to lose it by arguing further. Also, despite her stubbornness, she had made a deal which she needed to keep, it was the only part of her reputation she could grasp onto at the given time. Her eyes met the boys with a determined stare.

"Fine"

Videl couldn't believe it. She was reading over a series of questions in her physics text book and the words actually made sense. It had only been an two hours of study and she was now able to translate terminology that she wrote off as gibberish earlier in the day. Her eyes grew wide as Gohan proceeded to present her with the very same problem she was unable to answer in front of the class and Mr. Vector. Only this time, everything was clear, the diagram, the numbers, it all fit. Just how the hell had Gohan done it?

Videl quickly jotted down the answer with great efficiency.

"Very good." Gohan nodded approvingly. "I'm impressed, it usually takes a few sessions to work someone up to this level."

Videl had to greatly resist the urge to break into a smile. However she forced the idea down, she had held up her end of the bargain, now she meant business. She quickly snatched the ten question paper from the table and scribbled down formulas to answer each correctly. Several minutes went by before she handed the paper back and was pleased to see her tutor leave a satisfying tick beside each question.

"Well, looks like I owe you some answers" Gohan chuckled handing back the paper. In honesty, the questions he had given were very low level. However Gohan wanted Videl to give it her all, and when presented with a challenge she would do just that. He had expected her to want answers from their fight and saw it as an opportunity, he smiled to himself, fighting really did help you understand someone.

Without hesitation, Videl started from the top of her list of questions, using a tone reserved for interrogating criminals. "Who trained you?"

"Well I have had two masters since I was a kid, but I have studied other styles over the years. I was first trained by a close friend, then my father. However I have picked up a few things here and there from other friends, but I never officially studied under them." The boy replied.

"How many styles do you know?"

Gohan began slowly counting with his hands, listing off the people mentally. "I've mastered three, however probably know roughly six or seven styles."

Videl was impressed, but did not let it show. Normally she would have denied his question to be possible. But after being handed defeat, she was in no position to argue.

"What are the names of those schools?"

"Well the first was a very private school. It's called the Demon School or Evil Spirit, the translation is open for interpretation. Second is one of the oldest schools in Martial arts history, it's called the Turtle school. The last one is a specialist style devised by a long lost race of fighters. There is only one full blooded man left from their race and I learnt from him. Those are the three I have mastered."

Videl made a mental note to do her research on those names after she got home.

"How did you manage to beat me?" She asked, this question was hard for the girl to say aloud.

"I capitalised on your weaknesses and set traps." Gohan shrugged thinking back to his original strategy. "Every martial artist has inherent flaws in their style. Sometimes it's a habit or a opening in their form other times it's a product of being incorrectly trained."

Videl watched the boy expectantly, wide eyed, hoping to understand just what he had seen in her that was so easy to counter. "And what are my flaws?"

"Your technique is not suited for your skill set" The tall boy replied, he noticed Videl was on the edge of fuming so he swiftly proceeded with his explanation. "You have tremendous speed and fast reflexes. However you fight like a boxer, hands up high and a heavy stance. The problem is that it restricts your movement at the benefit of being able to generate more power, something that you should not be relying on."

"Well that stance is the very same my father uses, the same he used to win the world tournament and the same he used to defeat Cell" Videl stated matter of factly to put Gohan in his place.

Gohan cringed at the last part of that statement. Even though he was willing to remain open with his school and not worry about hiding himself away, he still had secrets to uphold. "I understand that. However you are not your father. He is much larger and physically stronger. He benefits greatly by having that extra power available to him, however you cannot hope to fight the same way he does, you need to rely on your speed above all else. If I were in your position I would search for another master to train under."

The Satan girl nearly broke into a tirade at the answer. "You realise my father is the WORLD CHAMPION. There aren't going to be any better teachers than that thank you very much!" she snapped, earning a loud 'Shush' from the librarian. Gohan however was not fazed as ever.

"The student is the product of the teacher. Even the greatest trainers influence others to fight in similar ways to themselves, and it is irrelevant whether they have the best intentions for their pupils or not. Habits and tendencies are hard to break, especially when you have been learning them for years. I was never able to fight to my fullest potential until I used what I had learned to create a style that suits me. My stances allow me to use quick footwork and cut angles, whilst throwing kicks."

"How many stances do you actually use?"

"More than I can count off the top of my head" Gohan chuckled whilst rubbing the back of his head. "I typically use several when I fight or spar. It depends on who I am fighting."

"Such as?" Videl questioned now fully intrigued. She had long abandoned her cold attitude of shutting the boy out, she was invested in what he had to say.

"Well the stances I primarily used against you were designed to protect the side of my body which is most vulnerable against you. You use a southpaw stance and as a result your back leg is where you throw most kicks from. Due to the height difference it was likely you would target my midsection more often as it was the target within your reach. By hanging my left arm lower it protects my liver which is the best place for you to attack. Secondly it also forces you to focus on both my hands, with one hand high and the other low you need to worry about punches coming from different angles."

"Why keep switching stances then?"

"It was strategy. The more I switch my stance the more it confused you. The easiest way to beat an opponent you have studied is to pattern their movement. Like I said, tendencies and habits play a major factor. By switching stances you aren't able to find any patterns in my game." The girl nodded her head, now understanding.

"So you have studied me then?" She asked. In all honesty this was a question she wanted great insight in.

"I watched all your fights at the tournament. So I could recall all the openings you left and the way you fought." Gohan replied.

"And? What did you see?"

Gohan pondered the question thoughtfully. Videl was stubborn and he did not intend to offend her by being disrespectful to her fighting abilities. "Well like I already said, your style is that of a boxer. I've noticed you leave an opening right down the middle when you charge forward and tend to defend your head rather than your body. However, most of what I used I learnt in the fight we had. All the feints I threw out where to get your reactions, you instinctively lean down and to your left when I would try a left hook, that's how I was able to land the kick on your head that nearly ended the fight." Videl stared wide eyed, had he really gauged her whilst fighting her? "Feints are the best way to judge opposition you need more information from."

Videl simply couldn't believe it. She had never been handed a defeat before, then all of a sudden this guy turns up and is not only able to beat her, but outsmart her mid fight.

"Anything else?" She questioned.

"Martial Arts is as physical as it is mental. Your method of fighting is fuelled by your emotions. You tend to fight with anger, though its a great way to maximise your attacks, it also served to hinder you. My strategy had you confused and as such you got frustrated, wasting energy to try and hit me, as well as getting sloppy with your movements. I knew I had you when you started throwing feints trying to mimic me, you abandoned any strategy you originally had, that showed desperation on your end."

Videl nodded her head at the explanation, eyes fixed to the desk in front of her. She never would have imagined the possibility of being bested so easily, let alone receiving a lecture about her fighting style.

"What about my father?" She questioned, eyes turned up with determination.

"What about him?" Was the reply she got, coupled with a confused glance.

"You said every fighter has flaws. What about my father, you must have seen him fight at some point. What did you see?" Videl could not recall a time she was so indecisive about the answer she would receive. On one hand she wanted to prove Gohan wrong, she wanted to prove that there are fighters who do not have a weakness and what better example than her father. On the other though, a small portion of her wished that the boy in front of her held some sort of clue to her fathers power.

Gohan meanwhile mentally weighed his options. He was not fond of Hercule Satan. He could deal with him flaunting around claiming false credit for his achievement of defending the world from Cell. Despite this, he was what the world needed, a hero to idolise. Not one member of the Z-Fighters could fit that role, they solved problems when it was required but remained hidden to the public in times of peace. However Gohan held some animosity toward the man for his total disregard and disdain for the art of Ki. The man instantly labelled the techniques as 'Light Tricks' and those who utilise them as 'Cheats'. Sure enough it wasn't long before the world turned its back on such power and it was lost to history. That as well as the fact that Hercule boasted about Son Goku being a false champion and coward was enough for Gohan to question Hercule and his ideals. In the end though, Videl was his daughter and he wouldn't bad mouth the man in front of his own flesh and blood, he would however answer the question.

"Your father has his share of weaknesses of course." He replied, the act of doing so had Videl shuffling slightly forward in her chair, blue eyes staring widely at him. "He is a big man with plenty of power, so his boxing stance and style is better suited to him. However he has three major glaring weaknesses. One; He seems to favour his straight right hand. The issue being that when he uses it, he leaves the left side of his body exposed. He does not mask this attack either, he steps in heavy on his leg, so its easy to predict and set up a counter. Two; His boxing style leaves his legs vulnerable, he generates a great portion of his strength by distributing his weight onto the front leg, however he is more often than not a stationary target. So although he guards his head relatively well, his front leg is there to be kicked. And lastly; He does not show much understanding of different styles. I feel he is comfortable with his own ability he refuses to adopt any other techniques. Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Karate. These are all legitimate forms of martial arts, mastering them all may be a daunting and even impossible task, but learning the basics goes a long way. When a fighter is presented with a style they don't know things can change quickly."

Videl soaked in every word like a sponge. She had barely expected even a single fault, yet Gohan had managed to supply several and everyone of them seemed fair. Surely studying the style and putting it into practice her two totally different things right? It's not like Gohan would actually be able to beat Hercule…

Only one way to find out.

"Say you were to fight him, what would be your strategy?" Videl asked. She was surprised that the boy did not hesitate to ponder the question, he already anticipated it.

"I would employ a similar strategy I used on you. Plenty of footwork and stance changes. But the main difference would be my target area, I would kick his legs whenever I got the chance, and would wait for his right hand. As soon as he drops it and steps forward I would move to my left and try to hit right here" Gohan trailed off gesturing to the lower part of his sternum. Videl meanwhile did not identify the area. "This is where your Xiphoid Process is. It's the part where your rib cage split is, it's a very tender area and a well placed punch or kick can cause a whole world of pain. It can cause harm to the liver, disrupt breathing and even mess with your heart. Your dad rarely protects this area and it would be the best available place to hit."

Videl nodded slowly with wide eyes, as far as she had been told over the years, her father had no weaknesses. After all, he defeated Cell. But what if Gohan was right? What if someone could take her father down, what would that mean?

Just then Gohan glanced at his watch. "Wow, it's already five thirty" he declared. "Sorry to cut this off, but I promised my brother I'd spar with him tonight." Getting up from his chair, the boy grabbed his coat and packed his bag. "Good work today Videl. If you have any questions about the material feel free to ask, see you tomorrow." He then dashed off with a large grin on her face.

Videl meanwhile was entirely silent through the whole ordeal, wrapped in her own thoughts. Thoughts that carried her home in silence.

* * *

It was no surprise to Videl that her dad was not home for dinner. He rarely made an appearance around here any more. Most likely he was off attending some function with promises of money just for showing up. Hercule indulged in the 'finer things in life' as he liked to put it. It irked Videl to no end how he had grown comfortable with his fame and how he abused it, turning to drinking almost every day and enjoying the company of women on a nightly basis. Tonight however she was not focused on her fathers absence, this time she needed information. Despite getting answers from Gohan, it only left her with more questions. She did have to admit though, he surprised her with his in depth knowledge and understanding of martial arts.

Wasting no time, Videl found herself in the archives of her fathers library. He often boasted about having ownership of the largest collection of martial arts material in the world. He had hours upon hours of footage dating back to the earliest years of publicised fighting, shelves of books detailing every style and dojo in the known world and biographies of some of the greatest fighters to live.

Walking through the library, Videl grumbled as her search for this supposed "Demon School" came to a dead end. Not one lead. _'Maybe, the Turtle school'_ She thought to herself, recalling her conversation with Gohan. She was pleasantly surprised to find a single book on the shelf.

"The Turtle School - History of the Hermit" Read the front cover of the book. The design of the book was in the pattern of a turtle shell. Videl quickly skimmed through the first few chapters of the book which detailed the origins of the school, apparently it was founded by a man known as Roshi, also known as the turtle hermit. It was a style created to allow the body to reach its fullest potential and promoted balance with all things. It continued detailing an eventual rivalry with an infamous dojo known as the Crane School.

It was the following few pages where things became even more interesting.

"The turtle school was responsible for adopting and teaching future world tournament competitors and even champions. Fighters including:

\- Roshi (13th World Martial Arts Tournament Champion)

\- Jackie Chun (21st World Martial Arts Tournament Champion)

\- Son Goku (21st and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament Runner-Up. 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Champion)

\- Krillin (23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Quarter-Finalist. 21st and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament Semi-Finalist)

\- Yamcha (21st, 22nd and 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Quarter-Finalist)

Other students and affiliates include:

\- Ox-King (King of Fire Mountain and father of 23rd World Martial Arts competitor Chi-Chi, otherwise known by her ring name 'Anonymous')

\- Gohan (Adoptive grandfather of Son Goku)

Videl re-read the passage again, Gohan, father of Goku?

It wasn't possible for that to be the Gohan she knew from school. However there was so mistaking it, her classmate was related to Son Goku and the Gohan mentioned in the book. It all fit. It was rare these days for someone to have a last name at all, and the fact that Goku and Gohan shared the same family name as well as the fact that Goku's grandfather was also named Gohan lead no room for doubt.

Gohan is the son of Goku.

Fitting, it was merely hours ago that the children of former champions had fought one another.

'_So, his dad is a former champion too. And three time competitor to add' _Videl was slightly impressed. Not many competitors had even managed to qualify multiple times to compete. And yet Goku had made it to the final bracket three years in a row before eventually winning the whole thing. She had to admit though, it was puzzling why a long time veteran like Goku did not show up for the most recent tournament. Or anyone mentioned on this list for that matter, Yamcha, Krillin, Roshi, Jackie Chun. Not one of them made another appearance at the 24th tournament, what had happened to the Turtle School? They were home to the highest calibre of fighters and now they had faded to anonymity.

Continuing her reading Videl was engrossed in the words on the page. Listing off more achievements of the schools fighters and its teachings. It was then that the girl came to a page explaining a variety of techniques used. Most were very self explanatory and appeared to be altered martial arts styles.

However there was one thing that caught Videls eye.

"The signature technique of the turtle school was created by Master Roshi himself. Dubbed the Kamehameha or Giant Turtle Wave. In the words of Roshi himself, this attack requires the access of ones inner Ki and focus, combined with greater physical strength to perfect. The devastation of this technique was on full display during the World Martial Arts Tournaments and has been widely regarded as the greatest technique in the history of martial arts."

Videl raised an eyebrow at the statement, unusually high praise for something that she had never heard of until now. Beside the explanation was an out of focus black and white photo from an old newspaper. The shot seemed to have Goku clad in a Turtle school gi, seeming to be shooting a beam from his hands during the 23rd tournament.

Instantly Videls brows furrowed and a glare reached her face. "That lying jerk!"


	3. Chapter 3

Gohan casually strolled down the hall towards his locker. Along the way he greeted his fellow students with a warm smile. The jocks waved in greeting and the girls eyed him up and down hungrily. Most of the female students looked forward to seeing Gohan in the morning, the boy was the most fashion forward of all the boys, adopting different clothing styles every day. The plethora of designer clothes the boy had were actually courtesy of Bulma who had ensured he be properly prepared to keep in touch with his classmates at Chi-Chi's request. Today the boy sported a black leather jacket which fitted loose around the arms but tight enough around the shoulders to accentuate his size. Coupled with that was a pair of tight dark jeans, black shoes and white T-shirt.

Approaching his locker, the tall boy was surprised to find his pupil from the day before standing by, awaiting his entrance. "Morning Videl" he greeted happily. However the response he received was anything but.

"You're so full of it, you know that?!" The girl shouted, garnering the attention of nearly the entire hall who grew silent.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" The boy asked, utterly lost.

"You resort to cheap tricks to win? What kind of martial artist are you?" Videl was seething and now all eyes were on the pair.

"What are you talking about Videl?" Gohan asked back.

"This…" She snapped flashing the page from the book with the photo of his father. "Recognise him?" Gohan's eyes widened at the page.

"Where did you find this?" Gohan asked, only to be ignored by Videl.

"Son Goku, or should I say, your father. A no good, lying cheater who resorted to using light tricks to win the world tournament."

There were a sea of gasps from the audience who were listening in. "That's right I figured it out. The fact that you couldn't beat me fairly so you cheated just like your dad, and then you tried to feed me all that bullshit about strategy and skill to cover your tracks."

"Videl I-" Gohan began quietly, trying to avoid making a scene and escalating the situation further. Videl however was not playing his game.

"You what Gohan?" She snapped. "I knew there was something wrong about you and now I get it. You are a lying jerk and you've been playing everyone along all this time. I understand why your dad never showed up for the last tournament" Gohan's eyes snapped to stare at her. "He knew he couldn't compete with my father, he knew that he would be humiliated and discovered for the trickster he is. He's nothing but a two-bit, coward like you."

Slowly the students around began murmuring their agreement. Some even going as far as to shoot Gohan dirty glares, believing the word of Mr Satan when it came to light tricks. Others disagreed and sympathised with Gohan, not believing a word they heard.

"Got anything to say?" Videl questioned with a cocky smirk, noticing the way the boy was shaking, believing it to be fear.

"You're wrong Videl" he stated calmly and softly eyes focused on the ground. He then slowly lifted his gaze to meet Videls and nearly all of the students gasped. There were tears forming in the corner of the boys eyes. "My father was a great man, and the strongest fighter I've ever known."

'_Was?' _Videl thought, her eyes widening at the revelation… _'Oh no'_

"He lived the same way he died, a hero and a fighter. The sacrifices he made will never be known to the world, and that's due to the words of your father. Ki is a legitimate form of martial arts, yet thanks to your father it has all but been forgotten." Gohan was trying to fight the tears at the thought of his father, yet he still remained calm and stoic in his response. "I don't blame you for believing your fathers words. But you did not know my dad and have no right to criticise him, alive or dead." The boy met Videls stare, she could almost see all the emotions running through the black pools. "I never uttered a word of a lie to you. And if you believe me or not that's up to you. Just know that I have tried to extend a certain courtesy to you, I'm disappointed to see it's not shared."

Gohan then packed his bag and made a bee line for the school exit. But before he did, he took one last look at Videl, who had not moved a muscle. "I already told you that the student is the product of the teacher, and you seem to be no exception. You rely on what you hear rather than what you have seen. You and your father have been sitting pretty in your ivory tower for the past seven years, looking down on common people as insects crawling on the walls. You need a new teacher Videl, at this point you can only learn the bad habits and expose more weaknesses."

You could almost hear a pin drop through the hall as the tall figure passed by a sea of students huddled around listening in. None made an attempt to stop him.

Videl stood motionless and silent, the entire encounter had her staring blankly ahead. She was snapped back to reality shortly after to hear murmurs of insults and profanities being whispered about the girl and the scene which had just transpired.

"I can't believe she insulted his dead father."

"She called him a coward, what a bitch"

"What's her problem anyway?"

"Guess she is jealous after all, spreading rumours like that"

Videl couldn't believe her ears, these were the same people who were begging for her to give them the time of day but a few weeks ago, now they were against her. Videl rubbed her temple, she really wished Gohan had never attended Orange Star High.

Erasa and Sharpner were not surprised to see their favourite nerd had not shown up to class. Although not direct witnesses to the event, they had heard of the recent encounter through several school gossip sources. Word had certainly travelled fast. As the door creaked open, revealing a dejected and distant Videl, many students opted to ignore her gaze or shoot her distasteful glares.

"Why Vi?" Erasa asked coldly but also intrigued as Videl took her seat beside her. Sharpner remained quiet not at all over their conversation from the day before, and certainly what had just taken place did not help his view on her.

"I didn't know" Videl confessed, looking down at the book in her grip. She wanted to tear the pages into a million pieces. "I didn't know his father was dead, and now the whole school hates me for it."

"Are you honestly trying to play the victim?" Erasa shot back hastily. "It doesn't matter whether his father was dead or not Videl. You insulted someone you have never met based on your dads word, behind his back."

"Well maybe I was wrong for insulting him, but it doesn't change the fact that he used cheap tricks to his advantage."

"And what if your dad is wrong?" Came a male voice from the blonde beside the pair. "No one has had first hand vision of these tricks except for your dad. We have followed his word this whole time, what if he's wrong and they aren't fake?" Even Erasa was shocked by Sharpner's comment. The boy idolised Mr. Satan and now he was willing to take a neutral stance and question the legitimacy of his claims.

"Last I checked you weren't involved in this conversation!" Videl snapped.

Sharpner just shrugged. "Well I'd say moment you verbally assaulted my friend the way you did, is when I became a part of this."

The girl looked over to her female counterpart expecting some sort of support, however she was only met with her blonde friend nodding her head in agreement at Sharpner's statement. "That's just great" Videl spat, standing from her seat and making a bee line for the exit. All the while not a single student made an effort to stop her.

"I hope she apologises to him" Erasa sighed.

"I'm not getting my hopes up." The blonde jock replied.

* * *

Videl stomped her way off campus intending on vacating the premises as soon as possible and moving as far away from the institution as she could. She wasn't worried about being a target for skipping class as she had little doubt her father could pull some strings to avoid any consequences. Pedestrians made a wide berth for the girl as she stormed passed, fearing the cruel glare which she walked with.

As the girl found herself in the public park she sat on the nearest bench she could find and stared at the book which was still clutched in her hands. She inspected the cover further and set into a curious stare. She had been so caught up in her haste she hadn't thought to research the author of this book. She was even more surprised to find that the name was one she was somewhat familiar with.

* * *

The raven haired girl waited expectantly in a small cafe, located in the heart of Satan City. It was a quaint atmosphere and not too busy considering it was still the middle of a weekday. She sipped her tea which she ordered out of necessity for being at such a location. She silently hoped her meeting would be worth it and this elusive author could provide her with the information she needed.

"Oh my Gosh! As I live and breathe, Videl Satan herself!" came a high pitched male voice from across the room. Videl raised her eyebrows at the outburst and turned to see a man, tall blonde hair combed back, green suit and his iconic pair of black tinted sunglasses. It was him alright, the host and announcer of the world martial arts tournament, and the very person Videl was waiting to meet.

"I'm only messing with you kid" He said hastily while making a brushing motion with his hand. "But seriously, how's the champs little champ going? I haven't seen you since you took home the junior championship at the tournament."

Videl opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted as the man continued his rant, her certainly had a big mouth and eccentric personality to boot. "I'll be honest I was surprised to get a call from the main lady herself. What's the occasion?"

Videl flashed the book in the man's face in response and instantly his face lit up.

"Well" He started, straightening his suit jacket and sitting up in his chair. "You've read my book. I see why you've called me here."

Videl raised her eyebrows. What was that supposed to mean exactly? "I did, and I have a few questions. Why did you of all people write a book about an unknown martial arts school?"

"Simple" He replied instantly. "To give credit where it's due. Up until the most recent tournament, martial arts was never a world stage sport. Back in those days it was rarely publicised and it was difficult to gain traction in the world of TV, it was much smaller scale than it is today. The Turtle School was unlike any institution the world had seen, the calibre of those fighters and their fights…" He trailed off in an effort to leave tension in the air. "… Legendary" He finished with flare. "However due to the reluctance of the media to publicise the sport, those fights are only remembered by those who were there to witness them."

"But why was it you? Why didn't Roshi write the book?" Videl asked back.

"Well I explained the situation to him after his pupil Goku won the twenty third tournament. He didn't appear to have an interest in documenting the history of his school, said he didn't have the time to sit down and write an autobiography. So I took matters into my own hands. I picked his brain a few days after the tournament and compiled everything he told me, as well as a few personal improvements, to create a history of the turtle school." The man sighed heavily after his answer and looked out the window toward the horizon. "I haven't heard or seen hide nor hair from any of those guys since that day. I was certain they would make an appearance in the last tournament, it would have been the greatest tournament we ever had, I'm sure of it… But it ended up quite the underwhelming affair."

Videl took great offence to that comment. "What's that mean? You do realise my father competed in that tournament."

The man cracked a small grin at the girls ignorance. "No offence intended little champ. But if you had been there you would know what I'm on about. The level of competition isn't the same as it once was, I guess the world lost interest." The announcer slowly began turning the pages of the book in front of him and landed on a picture of Goku standing tall in the rubble of a destroyed ring after having beaten Ma junior in the finals. "Nobody in the last tournament would have stood a chance against these guys in their hay-day. They used to blow up the ring with their battles, it was intense."

Videls eyes grew wide at the comment before setting into a frown. "Yeah. Because they used light tricks and mirrors." She huffed folding her arms.

The announcer regarded her for a second. "Light tricks?" He repeated before breaking into an obnoxious fit of laughter. "Don't tell me you bought it too. Let me explain something kiddo, those tricks the big man praddles on about, they are one hundred percent, grade A serious. I've seen them up close and heck, they nearly blew my head off. There ain't no mistaking it, they are the real deal."

"But they can't be" Videl shot back rising in her seat. "It's not possible to fly and shoot lasers out of your hands."

The man simply shrugged. "You read the book, the old hermit told me it was because of Ki control. And let me tell you, after calling all the fights I have, I can say for certain I believe him. Hell after everything I've seen I'd believe the guy if he told me he had been resurrected from the dead and was literally a dead man walking. The point is, seeing is believing."

Videl sat in her seat, her heart rate was increasing at what she was hearing. Was it possible her dad had got it wrong? "What about Goku? What do you know about him?"

"Ah, now there's a true fighter." He said with glee. "All you need to know is that there has never been a fighter more skilled than Son Goku, he's a once in a generation talent. You know he made it to the finals when he was twelve? And that was before they introduced the junior division. He was punching way above his weight class, and yet he was able to deck guys five times his size. I've never seen anyone that could hold a candle to that guy."

"What about my father?" Videl quipped.

"Sorry Videl, but not even your pops could win that battle."

"He beat Cell! You know, big green guy, hell-bent on destroying humanity." Videl rose from her seat.

"Well Goku beat Ma junior, big green guy, hell-bent on destroying humanity. You'd be surprised how often it actually happens." He smiled widely. "The final of the twenty third was literally for the sake of the world. And Goku came out victorious, their battle levelled the entire tournament grounds." The man looked back to the book and smiled. "I hope he comes back and competes one day. I still feel he has yet to reach his prime."

Videl set into a grimace, deciding she didn't want to get the man's hopes up. "You can't" she blurted out, gaining a confused reaction.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Goku is dead."

Videl's guest broke into a crestfallen gaze, staring out the window. "How do you know?" He asked with a neutral tone whilst staring to the city.

"I go to school with his son. He told me his father was no longer alive."

Videl could have sworn she could see tears rolling down his cheek as a sad smile reached his face. "Well that's a damn shame. All I ever wanted was to see him fight, just one last time. That way I could thank him personally for everything he has done." The announcer then thought back to the footage of the Cell games. He knew that man with the gold hair was Goku, it had to be. Mr. Satan wasn't the one to defeat Cell, there was no doubt in his mind. He always had an inkling that Goku and his friends were the reason everyone was still alive today. His attention then turned back to Videl who was watching him filled with curiosity. He did not have any ill will towards this girl, in fact he pitied her above all else. She was being fed lies for years by the one person she trusted most. Despite being so far deep in this charade of her fathers, she needed to at least doubt. "Riddle me this kiddo. What changes now that I have told you that Ki is a real technique, what do you gain?"

Videl pondered the thought momentarily. "Honestly I was expecting you to deny it being real. It's just that my father…"

"Your father is scared of that power" The man interrupted. "He saw this power as a class above his own, so he wrote it off as a scam to himself and the public. At least that's what I believe. I mean, you're telling me that Cell planted explosives which were able to single handedly take out the worlds military without being noticed? I'm no expert on the underworld, but even the biggest crime lord in the world wouldn't be able to get their hands on that kind of power." The man brought his hand to his chin in a thinking position. "No. Cell was more of a threat than anyone realises, and your dad couldn't stand on his level."

"Are you saying my dad didn't beat Cell!" Videl almost shouted, both in outrage and curiosity.

"You said it, not me." He shrugged. "All I'm getting at is that there are people out there who doubt your fathers story. And when you doubt, you see reason and perspectives that otherwise would have gone unnoticed."

The man swiftly stood from his seat and gave Videl a respectful bow. "Pardon my sudden exit, however I have business I must attend to in preparation for the tournament, it's only a few weeks away after all. And when you next see Goku's son, please tell him I'd love to meet him, perhaps issue an invitation to the tournament. I have no doubt that fighting runs in that family. It was good seeing you Videl."

Videl sat in the booth watching god smacked at the sudden departure and the words she had just heard. _'Surely they are tricks… But he's one of potentially a handful of people who had actually seen them up close. What about Gohan's dad, could he really have been that good of a fighter?'_ Videls thoughts swirled in her head. She groaned in frustration, she now had more questions than answers, it just wasn't fair. _'Could it really be possible that dad didn't defeat Cell?'_

The flaws in her fathers story became all the more apparent as Videl questioned herself. It was at that moment that words of wisdom came to her mind… _'Every martial artist has inherent flaws in their style'_

Videl decided, just this once she would put those words to the test.

* * *

Arriving home, the girl was surprised to find her father was actually home and without the company of a lady friend or tucked into his liquor cabinet. "Dad?" Videl called softly as the man was busying himself eyeing his trophy cabinet.

"Videl!" The man called back turning to see his daughter. "What are you doing home? You're supposed to be in school!"

"Police work" She lied. She certainly couldn't have her father knowing she was investigating the history of an ex champ. One he had ridiculed and belittled over the years at that. "Kind of didn't feel like going back to school." She then shrugged.

Hercule nodded his head slowly. Despite her sometimes rebellious attitude, Hercule believed his daughter on all cases. "I see. Well I'll have the chef send up some food for you"

"Actually" Videl shot back. "I was hoping you could help me with something."

"What might that be?" Hercule approached his daughter his eyebrows fully raised.

Videl shifted uncomfortably in place. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. "Dad, I want to spar with you." She met his eyes expectantly.

Hercule paused for a moment before breaking into a hearty bellow of a laugh. "Come on Videl quit kidding around."

Videl merely set into a cringe. "I'm not kidding" She stated with more confidence. "I want to test my skills against you in preparation for the tournament."

"You'll get there eventually Videl" Hercule reasoned. "But you're going to need a few more years before you can go toe to toe with the saviour of humanity!" The man proceeded to throw a few flashy kicks against the air for theatrics. "Besides, being the second strongest fighter in the world isn't so bad"

Videl merely hung her head at the statement. "Well that's just it dad. I fought that boy Gohan yesterday and…" Videl started only to be cut off.

"Oh I forgot. I hope you taught that twerp not to mess with Mr. Satan and his daughter. Did he put much of a fight? Or was he too much of a pansy to throw a punch?"

"I didn't win" Videl blurted out.

"You what?" Hercule questioned not expecting such a response.

"I lost. Gohan beat me, he choked me out"

"That punk. I bet he cheated! When I get my hands on him"

"He beat me fair and square dad… Well at least I think he did" Hercule watched the girl, beckoning for her to continue. "I couldn't even land a single punch on him, he picked me apart. I did some digging after the fact and found out that his father was a former champion as well. You probably know him, his name is Son Goku"

Hercule couldn't contain the obnoxious laughter that built up inside him. "Bahahaha, so that no good cheater extends his dirty tricks to his son as well. Videl you don't have to worry about losing to that bastard. Son Goku is nothing but a little con artist, he couldn't even muster up the courage to fight me man to man. Instead he ran scared from the tournament."

"He's dead dad" Videl said quietly with her head hung low. "Gohan told me after I called him out for being a cheater" Hercule blinked a few times. "Was I wrong to call him out for it? Did I do the wrong thing?" Videl was nearly on the verge of tears.

Mr. Satan watched intently, unsure of how to proceed. "Videl you spoke only the truth. Harsh or not, some people need to know their place." In reality, Hercule felt a pang guilty for the entire ordeal. He had unknowingly been dancing on the grave of a dead man, calling him a coward when he had most likely been deceased for this whole time as well as being directly responsible for his daughter to act the way she did.

"I need to know dad. They are tricks aren't they? I need you to swear to me that they are" Videl met her fathers eyes.

There was a pause, Hercule was between a rock and a hard place. His daughter was desperate for the truth, yet he had a reputation to uphold and intended to keep her safe from his lies and deceit. "I was there Videl, they were nothing but smoke and mirrors." he answered seriously.

Videl nodded her head slowly. This went against everything she had been told by her meeting with the world tournament announcer. "Please dad, just spar with me this one time"

"Vi… Videl, what?" Hercule muttered at the unexpected request.

"Please dad. I'm so confused right now. And I need you to help me"

"How is sparring your dad going to help you?"

"Just trust me dad. Please"

"Videl I…" Hercule trailed. Though he was very much against the idea of competing with his own daughter, the determined look she had was all it took to break him. He sighed in resignation and nodded weakly. "Just this once"

Several minutes later the two were stood at opposite ends of the training ring. Both fighters had changed into appropriate fighting gear. "Dad" Videl called. "I need you to promise me that no matter what, you will try to win. If you let me beat you then it won't help me"

Hercules eyes widened and jaw hung open. "Are you sure this is a good idea Videl?" He questioned, unsure of himself.

Videl however did not waiver. She nodded. "I need to know where I stand in all this. And you are the only one who can help me!" She shouted as she quickly dashed forward throwing a left hook at her father who just managed to bring his hand up to defend in time.

Taking three steps backward, Hercule brought his hands up to his head and tucked his chin. In doing so he defended three follow up punches from Videl which landed on his hands and forearm. Pivoting to her left, the girl then threw a right head kick which again connected with the man's hand. Feeling challenged, the world champion lead with a counter right hand. Similar to her father Videl brought her hand up to defend. The fist collided with her forearm, and though she had deflected it properly, the force of the punch was enough to send her staggering back.

Hercule positioned himself in his traditional stance. Both hands up in the form of a boxer, left leg out in front of his body and planted firmly. The man smirked. "You may be my daughter. But that doesn't mean anything when your father is the world champion"

Videl smiled. Her father was as competitive as they came. It didn't take much to goad him into a fight.

The two separated and began circling the ring. Hercule eyeing Videl with some interest as his daughter moved from her stance to something new. Instead of holding her hands up high they hung loosely down by her midsection. The girl then began bouncing on the balls of her feet, bobbing her head as she did so. It was an unfamiliar sight to Hercule who had not seen Videl utilise such movement before.

The teen girl could practically see the gears in her fathers head turning as she implemented her new strategy.

"_I would employ a similar strategy I used on you. Plenty of footwork and stance changes. But the main difference would be my target area, I would kick his legs whenever I got the chance"_

Gohan's words rang in her head. Quickly pushing off her back leg, Videl darted towards her father, pivoting so that now she was beside him, letting loose a left jab which her dad brought his hands up to block. As her fist made contact with Hercules knuckles, she followed up with a kick to the inside of his ankle. The act of doing so caused Mr. Satan to stumble forward a pace, where Videl threw a second kick which hit the man on his inner thigh area. Swiftly, Videl ducked under a counter right hook from her father and separated enough to give her space where she felt comfortable.

The two combatants reset, moving back into their stances and circled once more. Videl could sense her father was favouring his back foot over his front, he wasn't standing as heavy on it. It seemed her kick had done some form of damage.

Hercule, deciding to be the aggressor, charged in. He lead with a left body shot, which Videl turned away from. His right jab missed by the smallest of margins and his left hook partially hit Videl on the right ear as she didn't anticipate the punch well enough. Even though it had landed, Videl could tell it did not have the same amount of strength it usually did. Smirking to herself, the teen countered with another series of kicks to his legs. The last of which made it buckle and the man briefly fell to one knee before standing back up, wobbling slightly as he did so.

"Not bad" Hercule praised, sweat beading down his forehead at the pain shooting through the muscles of his leg. "But lets see how you deal with this!"

Like a bull, Mr. Satan rushed in. His right fist balled up by his side.

"_He leaves the left side of his body exposed. He does not mask this attack either, he steps in heavy on his leg, so its easy to predict and set up a counter." _

Videl watched his right hand, slowly his left side became exposed.

"_As soon as he drops it and steps forward I would move to my left and try to hit right here"_

Making eye contact with the centre of his torso, the very target Gohan spoke of, Videl waited for the counter to be available.

"Satan Punch!" Hercule growled, his haymaker right hand uncorking with all his might. The punch seemed destined to connect, until at the last moment Videl ducked. The fist went sailing over her shoulders and head.

The act of doing so left Videl with all the space she needed. Stepping in, Videl hit her father on the side of the head with a left hand and followed up by spearing her right fist into his midsection.

Time seemed to stand still before Hercule backed off. Arms now clutching his body as he then fell into a heap onto the mat, groaning in agony.

Videl looked at her closed fist and then back to her father. "Dad?" She made a move toward him hesitantly. "Everything okay?" Videl knew at this point the fight was over. Had this been a real battle she would have swarmed the vulnerable man until he was forced to admit defeat.

Gasping for several moments, Hercules eyes quickly opened. He almost jumped from his foetal position and stood with his fist high in the air, while his free hand clutched his stomach. "Not bad Videl! Real good progress. You're just lucky I decided to take it easy on you today. Maybe one day you'll being able to go one on one with your old man in a real fight!" The man continued to drone one about his skills, slowly edging to the exit of the gym. "Anyway, you keep up the hard work. I'm just going to go and uh… Get some… Get some… More milk! Yeah that's it! We just ran out, and that stuff is good for the bones of us fighters. I'll go do that, you keep training here"

Videl watched in surprise as her father literally sprinted out of the gym. She could make out a few groans and profanities as he escaped.

Looking at her fist Videl sighed in frustration, she had honestly hoped the scene hadn't unfolded the way it did. She knew how people operated. And she knew her dad better than anyone. The way he was sweating, his mumbling and indecision. How he was keeled over before seeming to recover instantly. There was no denying it. Hercule was lying to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Operating on his autopilot mode, using Ki as a sensing mechanism to wander the halls, Gohan read through the book in his hand, whilst simultaneously greeting his fellow peers. Some asked how he was feeling after his run in with Videl. Others offered sympathy. Gohan tried to respond with as little interaction as he could. He honestly didn't want to dwell on the incident. He hadn't returned to class that day, instead he flew home, where his mother scolded him for cutting class, but was more lenient when he had explained why.

Reaching his locker, he proceeded to input his locker combination before noticing that the bustling of feet and chatter among the sea of students had settled. It was almost like a tension on the air. Turning his head, he was met with none other than Videl, slowly making her way up to him, eyes downcast, rubbing her arm awkwardly.

Gohan set into a frown.

Videl nearly gasped at the sight of his face. She had never seen him wear a look other than his dorky, cheesy smile. And to know that she was the cause of that switch was a rather guilty thought. She even surprised herself by mentally wishing she could have that smile of his back.

She stammered several times under his gaze, wringing her hands before delivering her line. "Can we talk?"

Gohan regarded the girl for a moment. He was acutely aware that their little interaction was quickly piquing the interest of their peers. "I'm not sure that's a good idea Videl" Gohan spoke. His tone was as monotone as anyone had ever heard, there didn't appear to be any emotion behind it. His mind thought back to their little spat the day before and he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Not only in Videl but also a little in himself for not doing a better job at handling the situation.

"Please Gohan" Videl pleaded, her eyes meeting his, Gohan let out a small noise of surprise. Her eyes were red, almost as if she had been crying, her lip quivered and her shoulders slumped. This was far from the stubborn and confident Videl he was used to seeing. Instead she was a shell of her former self. "I need someone to talk to… And you're the only one I can turn to right now"

Looking around the halls, Gohan met dozens of eyes which were fixated on this scene. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Gohan slowly closed his locker. "Okay. But maybe we should find somewhere more private" He suggested.

Videl half nodded her head, allowing him to dictate where the conversation took place. She felt his rough hand take a light grip around her wrist, leading her to the nearest flight of stairs. As they did so, thoughts circulated in Gohan's mind. He wasn't sure why he still felt compelled to give the girl his time let alone even acknowledge her. He should despise her for what she had done, yet he simply couldn't find it in himself. Despite her shortcomings, Videl had been misguided. Her perception of what was fact and fiction was built on a foundation that her father had laid for her.

As the pair stepped out onto the roof of the school, they fell into a short silence, taking in the tranquillity of the air, the way it drowned out the noise of the campus. Gohan simply watched the girl, giving her time to start.

"I sparred with my father last night" She stated. Gohan's eyebrows shot up, now interested. "Well, it was more of a fight than a spar. It actually had nothing to do with training" Videl trailed off, finding a place to sit, her back against the railing of the ledge.

"And?" Gohan urged, placing his book bag on the ground and sitting beside the girl.

"I beat him" Videl continued, her tone not at all pleased with the result. Gohan nodded slowly. Normally Videl would have been ecstatic knowing she had bested her father. However, this time around they both understood the implications of her victory. "I beat him, and then he tried to lie about not fighting seriously. And what's worse…" She then drew her gaze away from the floor and met Gohan's pitch black orbs. "Is that I only beat him by using your strategy. You were right. He doesn't defend his legs, he does keep his body wide open… He…" Videl then broke down into small sobs.

Gohan just continued to nod slowly. He draped an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean into him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck as she continued to cry. Several minutes went by before the two separated. Their gazes met once more.

"He's been lying all this time. Hasn't he?" Videl asked, her eyes still continuing to shed a tear every so often.

Gohan's features softened. "I'm sorry" he whispered. "Yes, he has"

Videl nodded in acceptance. "And you could have easily beaten him if you wanted to, right?" Gohan hesitated for a moment. Unsure of how to proceed. "It's okay. You can tell me. I mean it is obvious after all. Considering you made easy work of me, I'm sure you could have handled him no problem as well"

"You're right" Gohan sighed. Hanging his head. "I'm sorry Videl, but your dad could never beat me"

"I never pinned you as one to boast" Videl quipped with a small chuckle. Though in reality not more than two days ago she was contradicting this statement in her head. "So those… Light tricks, you know how to use them?"

Gohan nodded.

"And they are real. Aren't they?"

Another nod.

"Can you show me?"

Doing a quick Ki scan to ensure no one would wander in on the scene, Gohan wordlessly brought his empty palm up to her gaze. Videl's eyes widened as sparks danced in his hand before forming into a bright blue sphere. The light was almost blinding, it also seemed to give off the subtlest amount of warmth. There was no mistaking it, this was as much evidence as she needed to believe. Hesitantly she reached out and poked it with her index finger, quickly retracting it as it shifted under her touch.

"It's called Ki" Gohan started, allowing the manifestation to retract back into his body. "Every living being possesses a finite pool of it. Once unlocked, it can be used for multiple purposes. Like energy beams and blasts like Cell used. Energy output to increase strength and speed, and even high speed flight"

"You can fly?" Videl interrupted. She nearly passed out as the boy nodded, standing up and levitated several feet of the ground. The Satan girl quickly waved her hands under his feet for any hidden wires. "Holy shit… You _can_ fly. Just like those guys at the Cell games. And you can make those light beams just like them as well" Gohan touched his feet on the ground. Bracing for the sudden revelation he knew was coming. Snapping her head to his face, Videl stood wide eyed. "You… You were there weren't you? That little boy who was there… That was you! But he had blonde hair. Is that a Ki technique as well? changing hair colour?" Videl started putting the pieces together like a detective solving a case. Eventually her thoughts processed the facts.

"Yeah." Gohan paused, slightly raising his Ki so that he was able to attain the Super Saiyan form, without releasing all the energy at once and cause any damage to the surrounding area. " It was me" Gohan answered, bringing an end to her thoughts. "I was there"

Videl stood in awe at the sight of the boy. His golden blonde hair, his teal eyes. Here stood one of the golden fighters. She could practically feel the power that he generated.

"_He lived the same way he died, a hero and a fighter" _Videl instantly understood what was meant by those words. Son Goku had died at the Cell games. And Gohan was there, he had seen it, he saw everything that happened that day. Which means that whatever happened to his father, Gohan was there to witness it. Instantly Videl felt overwhelmed with guilt. She had bad mouthed the man, when he had given his life to defend earth, and to his son who had seen it no less. Instantly Videl wrapped her arms around the boys midsection, pulling him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry. For everything" She rested her head on his torso. She felt his arms snake around the back of her neck.

"I know. And it's okay" Gohan spoked soothingly, almost as if he understood what the girl was thinking.

"My dad didn't beat Cell did he?" Her voice was slightly muffled by the fabric of the boys shirt. "Your dad did, didn't he?"

Gohan slowly shook his head. "I wish I could say he had. Maybe then he would still be around" He paused for a moment as Videl broke away from their contact. "You father did not defeat Cell. Though neither did mine, but not for lack of trying"

"Then…" Videl trailed off. She gasped as his eyes bore into hers, full of seriousness and intensity. It all added up. Gohan's fighting ability, his knowledge of Ki, him being at the scene of the Cell games. "It was you. You were the one"

Again, Gohan found himself nodding slowly. He powered down, slipping out of his Super Saiyan form and back to normal. "Correct"

"And yet. You still tried to help me, even knowing who I was… What kind of person I was. Videl Satan, daughter of Hercule and total fraud. How can you even stand to be around me after all I have done, after how horrible I have been to you!"

Gohan approached the girl, taking a firm hold of her cheeks and forcing her to meet his eyes. "Videl. The only person I see is a strong willed, confident, beautiful, independent fighter. You may have been ignorant to everything, but you were misguided. Just like how everyone out their is as well. You followed your fathers word, and you can't fault yourself for that. I never second guessed my father either. At least you are here to make up for your mistakes, that shows more character than anything else"

Releasing his hold on the girl, he stepped back several paces, allowing for Videl to process the information, the word 'Beautiful' rang in Videl's head several times. "Thanks" She whispered, a feint blush gracing her cheeks at the contact. "So you think I could still benefit from a new teacher?" She questioned after some moments of silence.

Gohan smile reassuringly. "It's your decision. But my view hasn't changed. You can never hope to attain further knowledge by shackling yourself to a single institution"

"Do you think… Do you think you could train me?" Videl asked wavering slightly.

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck with a timid grin. "Me? Gee, I'm not sure. I've never really taught anyone martial arts before. I'm better at academics really"

Videl scoffed. "Come on. You've got to be literally the strongest fighter in the world. There can't be a better candidate to learn from"

"I guess I could give it a shot" Gohan agreed with a sly grin.

"Does that mean you can teach me to fly and transform too?" Videl was nearly giddy with excitement. Gohan didn't believe she actually had the capacity of muster up such an emotion.

"Flying, yes. The transformation thing, probably not" Gohan responded, scratching his chin.

"Why not?" Videl shot back, disappointed that he was willing to withhold such a technique from her.

"It's kind of complicated. Maybe I will explain it later. The short of it is that it's based on genetics. There are only four people left who can use it, myself included in that group" Videl nodded slowly. Her lips set into a line at the revelation, though she had to concede that the ability of flight was still a pretty good deal in itself. "And besides, Ki is so versatile that the possibilities are near endless. People train their entire lives and don't even scratch the surface of mastering all the techniques" Gohan wore a childlike grin, his toothy smile was utterly infectious.

Videl took a second to take in the sight. Since when was his smile so damn cute? And was he always so impressive to look at? Were his eyes always so carefree and captivating? It was almost as if Videl was looking at a completely different person. She took a small step towards the boy, looking out over the city skyline and smiled to herself. "Hey Gohan?" She called.

As the boy went to respond he felt the force of the girl wrap her arms around his neck, tugging the back of his head down so that their faces met. Before he could question her motive he felt her lips brush over his. His eyes widened for the briefest moment before his instincts took hold and he succumbed to the moment, snaking his arms around her and responding to the kiss. The pair held their place for several seconds before breaking contact, though they still remained in a warm embrace. "Thanks. For everything" She whispered into his shirt, taking in his scent.

'_And another victim falls for the Gohan virus' _Videl thought dryly. Though she couldn't argue the fact that she had never felt more content than she had at this moment.

"You're welcome" Gohan replied, his chin resting on her forehead and a goofy grin adoring his features.

He was the most popular person at Orange Star High, loved by his peers and every teachers dream student. His infectious personality and modest nature made him appear without fault to anyone he came into contact with… That was especially the case when it came to Videl Satan.


End file.
